


El Noi de la Mare

by The_Supervillains_Goatee



Category: Batman Beyond, DCU
Genre: Christmas, Mild Gore, belated Christmas story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-01-06 12:00:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1106565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Supervillains_Goatee/pseuds/The_Supervillains_Goatee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Que li darem a n'el Noi de la Mare?<br/>A traditional Christmas celebration with the McGinnis/Wayne Family<br/>Warning: Contains bloodless/entrail-less descriptions of an autopsy.</p><p>This is up for adoption.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own. No profit. Entertainment only. Please don't sue.  
> Warning: Mild Gore, Death of a Villain

**December 25 th 2040**

The morgue attendant led Commissioner Gordon and the Case Lead into the observation room and turned on the viewing screen.  The medical examiner conducting the autopsy looked at her from the dissection room window. “I’m ready when you are.”

“You can start at any time, Doctor”, replied Barbara.

The doctor clicked on the dictation bot and began her pathology report, “first, I will visually examine the corpse and describe what I see. The decedent appears to be a well-nourished and physically fit….”

 

 

 

*****

For the first time in 30 years, Wayne Manor had holiday guests. Tim Drake and his wife Stephanie were in the kitchen preparing dinner with Alfred's recipes. Their kids were upstairs cleaning up guest bedrooms. Dick Grayson had parked himself next to Mary McGinnis in front of the fireplace. Matty McGinnis and the Drake grandchildren were playing with their new toys. Terry was attempting to sidle over to the mistletoe with Dana. Bruce Wayne was repressing the urge to smile. Barbara had promised to drop by later on with Sam Young. The only thing that could possibly make the holiday better were if Alfred Pennyworth dropped by through a time distortion with a plate of Christmas cookies, Bruce mused.

 

 

 

*****

They’d come to the goriest part of the examination; opening the skull. The dictation bot swiveled its camera arm toward the corpse’s head while the coroner placed the skull key back onto her tray of tools. Commissioner Gordon stoically watched but the detective assigned as case investigative lead looked somewhat green and stared down at his feet.

“Cause of death appears to be a wound in the cranial nerves of the brain. This would cause the autonomic nervous system, more specifically the parasympathetic division, that controls involuntary action to cease to function…” The doctor picked up pair of forceps and dipped in to remove the projectile.

The medical examiner held the object up toward to the dictation bot’s light. “What on earth…?”

Commissioner Gordon pressed the intercom button, “What is it, doctor?”

“I-I’m not sure! It’s not a bullet!” The doctor looked baffled. “Magnify, please!” she said to the dictation bot.

A picture of the object enlarged. “Bigger, please.” The object got bigger.

“Can you tell what it is?” asked Commissioner Gordon

“It’s oddly shaped!” The doctor exclaimed. “Magnify by 1000 times, please” The object was suddenly, clearly visible now.

There was a stunned silence and then the detective asked the room at large, “Is that what I think it is!?”

Commissioner Gordon began to laugh and laugh and laugh.

“Why it looks like, it looks just like…!” The doctor stuttered.

The detective was incredulous, “It’s _tiny_! It’s really tiny! And _plastic_! How, how could it possibly--!?”

The medical examiner held the forceps up and squinted at the object, “Well, if it were traveling at high enough velocity…”

Barbara Gordon laughed and wiped tears from her eyes because honestly who could have ever been expecting to be killed by something like _that_?


	2. December 18th 2040

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> December 18th 2040

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I made a mistake on the dates. They should be correct now.

**December 18 th 2040**

Business was booming at New Gotham’s Jezebel Town Center mall. The season’s sales had started sluggish but in the last days leading up to Christmas, the city’s residents had gone into a buying frenzy. Parents were desperate to get the “it toy” of the year which wasn’t available for purchase online. The manufacturer insisted on selling it out of brick and mortar stores only. Very odd, was the general consensus. Most people preferred to buy online nowadays. But then, the BOX was manufactured by Nygma-Tech and the founder and CEO was Edward Nygma who at one time had been _Arkham_ odd. His criminal career had ended decades ago but people still thought him rather odd.

Mary McGinnis gripped Matt firmly with one hand and her shopping list in another. She consulted the store directory and then her list. “The store we’re looking for is all the way across the mall.”

“Can we stop by the food court first?”

“You just had lunch! How can you be hungry?”

“I want a banana split at Snowy Cones.”

“Maybe when we’re done shopping.”

“ _Aaaaaaw_ , _moooom_!”, Matt whines as Mary towed him past the throngs of people crowding into the Nygma-Tech popup store.

“I’ll consider it _if_ you get your picture taken with Santa.”

“Oh, _mom_! I’m _too_ old for that!”

“You’re only eight!”

“Still too old”, Matt grumbled.

“Yes, but Nana and Grampy McGinnis aren’t.”

“Ooookay. _Fine_!” Matt added, “But only if you get Terry to do it too!”

Which was the precise moment the Nygma-Tech storefront exploded and turned Jezebel Town Center shopping mall into an inferno.


	3. December 18th 2040, 2300 hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> December 18th 2040, 11 PM

**December 18 th 2040**

The hospital room was dark except for the light filtering under the doorway from the hall. Terry was hunched over with his hands jammed into his pockets staring out the window. Matt was curled up in a visitor’s chair asleep.

“Let’s go over your statement one more time, Mrs. McGinnis.” Detective Jaime Sawyer feigned bland indifference. “You claim you didn’t see anything unusual before the explosion?”

Mary McGinnis pulled her air mask down to answer, “As I told you repeatedly; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was an ordinary day at the mall.”

Det. Sawyer stared at her blandly and started to say, “Memory can be unreliable under stress. Small important details can be overlooked. Now tell me again everything you remember about this morning.”

“She’s tired!” Terry turned around and snapped at Detective Sawyer. “She gave you her statement. She’s given it to you at least six times! She needs to rest. It’s late!”

Detective Sawyer replied, “We’re just trying to get an accurate picture of how the incident went down. If your mother doesn’t want to cooperate now, she can always—“

“—give you _another_ signed statement when she’s released from the hospital, Detective.” Bruce Wayne gave her toothy smirk.

Sawyer started. Bruce Wayne might not be Batman any longer but he could still slink through the shadows like the Batman! “Excuse me, Mr. Wayne, but this isn’t visiting hours.”

“You’re quite right. It is long past visiting hours. I think it’s time for everyone to leave and let Mrs McGinnis have her rest.” Old Man Wayne had swiftly and neatly extracted the Gotham City police officer from the hospital room and shut the door behind them. He leaned heavily on his cane. Commissioner Gordon was questioning some hospital staff down the hall and came toward them.

“We still need to question the little boy! I have a social worker and a police psychologist waiting downstairs.”

“You have his statement, too. If you need to question him more, you can do that _later_ …with his mother present _after_  Mary McGinnis is released from the hospital along with a Wayne Inc. attorney!”

“All right, as soon as she’s released from the hospital, I want her to come in for more questioning.” Detective Sawyer conceded defeat on that front but decided to attack on another. “Both Terry and Matt are minors. Their mother is unable to care for them. Child protective services will be taking them until she’s released.”

“Child protective services are unnecessary. Mrs. McGinnis will be happy to sign temporary legal guardianship over to me.” Bruce pulled a PDA from his pocket. “I took the time to call up my legal department before coming here.”

The detective was going to argue further but Bruce cut her off, “I can call an attorney up here _now_ , if you’d like?”

Commissioner Gordon tapped Sawyer on the shoulder, “I’ll handle Mr. Wayne, Detective Sawyer.”

Barbara Gordon and Bruce Wayne watched Detective Sawyer retreat down the hall until she was far enough away not to overhear them.

 “I know I won’t be able to keep Terry out of this but at the very least I need to place Matt in protective custody, Bruce.”

“Barbara, are you really saying you don’t think I can provide adequate security for the boys?”

“I think you’ll provide adequate security for _one_ of the boys while the other is out on the street meddling-”

Terry chose that moment to shove the door open and loudly say, “Mr. Wayne, you have something to discuss with my mom….in _private_?”

Bruce Wayne gave Barbara a nod and slid into the room. Terry stepped out and gently shut the door behind him. “Hello, Commissioner Gordon. How are you this evening?”

“Fine, Terry.” Barbara gave him a brittle, hard smile. “You’re going to be moving in with Mr. Wayne?”

“Until our mother is released from the hospital, yes.” Terry returning smile was overly saccharine and winsome. “He’s a kind old man who generously decided to shelter us in our hour of need.”

“Good luck with that, kid, Mr. Wayne doesn’t have such good luck with keeping his wards safe.”

“I’m sure we’ll be just fine, Commissioner Gordon. After all, my mother is only being held a couple of days for observation.  I’m sure Gotham PD will have arrested the person guilty of the mall fire by then.”

“Your faith in Gotham PD’s skills is truly uplifting.”

“It’s inspired by how quickly and efficiently you solved my father’s murder, Commissioner Gordon.”

Bruce opened the door and Terry asked, “Are we good to go?”

“Yes, everything is legal now. Why don’t you give your mother a kiss goodnight and get your brother?”

Terry retreated.

“Bruce, what do you think you’re doing?” Barbara Gordon was not amused. “Don’t you think with your track record taking on more wards is something of a mistake?”

“Barbara, you should know I never make the same mistake twice. The boys will have a perfectly uneventful Christmas.”

“To ensure that they do, I’m assigning them police protection.” Barbara turned and gestured ‘come here’ to a couple of plainclothesmen loitering down the hallway with Detective Sawyer.

“Really, Barbara, that’s hardly necessary.”

“ _Both_ the boys _will_ have a protection detail assigned to them, _Mister_ Wayne.”

The two cops assigned to the McGinnis protection detail stopped behind Commissioner Gordon.

Terry came out carrying Matt. “We’re ready to go.”

“Well, then let’s go.” Bruce smiled benignly at the two cops. “These gentlemen will be coming with us.”

“Terry, these plainclothes cops will be your security detail. They’ll be shadowing you and Matt until the case is resolved.”

“I’m sure we’ll be just fine with Mr. Wayne. No need to go to such trouble for us. You should have them guarding our mom.”

“Oh, don’t worry. All the first hand witnesses to the Nygma-tech bombing are confined to this floor and will have plenty of round-the-clock security to protect them.”

“I’m sure we’ll be just fine with Mr. Wayne. Really, no need to trouble yourself. I’m sure these guys’ time would be much better spent here at the hospital.”

Barbara Gordon managed a mean-old-person smirk that was worthy of Bruce Wayne. “Oh, no, Matt is also a witness. We need to make sure he’s safe and secure….with his big brother for moral support.”

Terry was going to politely argue more but Old Man Wayne interrupted, “You’re right, of course, Commissioner Gordon. I’m sure Wayne Manor will be all the safer and secure with these fine gentlemen’s help.”

Barbara and Terry both gave Bruce a ‘What are you up to, Old Man?’ look which was answered with, ‘Just you wait and see.’

“If that’s all, Commissioner, we’d best be on our way.”


	4. December 19th, 2040, 100 hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Jamie Sawyer is the canon daughter of Maggie Sawyer who first appeared in Superman vol. 2, #4 April 1987. Maggie Sawyer is the current day Batwoman’s fiancé and head of the Major Crimes Unit in Gotham City PD. If memory serves me right, McDonald was the name of one of Detective Harvey Bullock's partners.  
> I lifted the place and store names from the comics as well.

**December 19th, 2040 1:00 am**

Bruce’s limo pulled up in front of Wayne manor and the two police officers, the McGinnis boys, and Bruce exited the vehicle.

Terry handed Matt off to the plainclothesmen and said, “I’ll put the limo away Mr. Wayne”.

Bruce unlocked the door and said, “If you’ll gentlemen follow me, I’ll show you around.”

“One of us needs to stay with Terrence.”

“Yes, of course!” Bruce gave them a congenial smile. “We’ll be waiting for you in the kitchen.”

Terrence pasted a fake smile of his own on and got back into the limo with the cop he mentally labeled “Bert”. “Ernie” followed Bruce into the house with Matt. When he and “Bert” had finished locking up the car for the night, they hiked across the grounds toward the mansion with their overnight bags.

“So, kid, how did you and the old man meet?”

“Oh, we just ran into each other one night.”

Bruce was waiting in the doorway. “He’s selling himself short. I was attacked by some Joker thugs and young Terry came to my rescue.”

“Oh, I hardly did anything.”

“Pretty ballsy, kid. Those loonies are dangerous.”

"Yes, it's too bad the authorities can't shut them down. They're a blight on the city." Old Man Wayne was the perfect picture of a Nice Old Man.

“Wasn’t your old man killed by the Jokerz?”

Terry gave them a brittle smile. “So the police tell me.”

Bruce ushered them inside. “I showed Officer MacDonald to your rooms. He’s making up the beds now. I’m sorry to say I was unprepared for guests.”

“That’s all right. We will probably spend most of the night here on the first floor or out on the grounds.”

“Whatever you think best, Officer Driver.”

“If you don’t mind..?” The officer paused on the lower step of the stairs to the upper level bedrooms.

“Oh, go right ahead. Terry has to help me with some things in my office.”

Bruce and Terry waited until the cop was out of hearing range.

“How are we going to shake them? I can’t do field work with a babysitter.”

“I’ve got something down in the Cave I’ve been working on.”

“Ooo, la, la, is it a Christmas gift for me? When can I unwrap it?”

“Only if you’re a good little boy, Terry, and get those two out of Wayne manor.”

“Well, how about I take Matt out for our annual portraits? Where we go, they’ll have to follow.”

“That should work.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I tried to finish this but I just wasn't feeling it. This is up for adoption. The title was inspired by the fact that Terry and Matt are technically "virgin" births...and their mother is named Mary.

**The Plot That Never Thickened**

 

Basically, the McGinnis Family and Old Man Wayne would end up kidnapped and held hostage in a toy factory, and before Commissioner Gordon could rescue them, Matt would escape with Bruce all the while insisting Batman would save them. 

 

The Dee Dees did not bother to ensure Bruce or Matt were as securely tied up as Mrs McGinnis and Terry. They're simply locked in a room with their hands tied in front of them. They quickly free themselves and sneak along the catwalk over the factory floor. They need to shut the factory down so Matt takes the Batman toy that used to belong to Warren when he was a kid launches it into the gears. The machinery immediately jams up and start to smoke. The villains gather around it trying to figure out what just happened and it explodes. In the chaos Bruce and Matt rescue their family and Matt says, "See, I told you Batman would save us."

The Big Bad that gets autopsied is killed by a tiny toy Batarang. 

 

 _El Noi de la Mare_ is a traditional Catalan Christmas song. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsgif07IPMw

 

 

 


End file.
